Caster.



I No. 850,009. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907. I

- W IMBT GASTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26-. 1906.

INVENTOH 1 fiZZz'dnz Int-57L" W/TNESSES I A rromvsys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM IMBT, OF EAST STROUDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES DECKER, OF EAST STROUDSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA.

CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed May 26, 1906. Serial No. 318,838.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM IMBT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Stroudsburg, in the county of Monroe and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Caster, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement in casters as used in supporting furniture to enable it to be easily rolled about.

The object of the invention is to provide'an improved form of caster which shall be strong and durable, not likely to get out of order, and one which shall be absolutely noiseless and of free working.

To this end the invention consists of a bracket on which a roller is journaled, said bracket having rigidly attached thereto a vertical stem. This stem is loosely inclosed by a socket contacting with the stem only at its upper end and carrying at its lower end a friction-wheel adapted to engage with a fric tion-wheel on the bracket. The frictionwheels are assisted in retaining the socket and stem in a concentric relation by lugs formed on the stem at the ends of a diameter thereof, said diameter being at right angles to the common diameter of the friction-wheels. The bracket has a rearward extension curled over to provide means in which a second friction-wheel is journaled and also a spring member to prevent the accidental displacement ofthe socket from the stem.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved caster complete. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of a blank from which the caster-bracket is constructed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of socket, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the caster complete.

Referring to Fig. 3, wherein a blank is represented comprising a fork 1-, having wings 2 extending at each side thereof and a rear tapered extension 3, the wings 2 are provided with apertures 2" at their ends and are bent downwardly at right angles to the body of the blank, forming a bracket in which the apertures 2 aline. Between the downwardly-bent win'gs a'roller 4 is journaled on a in 5, passing through the a ertures, said pin eing riveted over at its en s to embrace the wings at the outside in a well-known manner. The roller 4, which is preferably of wood, has a central bushing 6 passing slightly beyond it at each side in orderto prevent contact of the roller with the wings, and thereby increase the friction.

At the intersection of the longitudinal center of the extension 3 and a median line passing through the wings an aperture 7 is provided countersunk about its edges. This aperture is for the purpose of receiving a vertical stem 8, which has a bead 9 at its lower end for resting in the countersunk portion and forming a shoulder for fixing the stem to the bracket, as by riveting the end of the stem, as shown.

The upper end of the stem is of conical formation for receiving the conical end of a socket 10. This socket, as most clearly shown in Fig. 2, loosely surrounds the stem 8 and has at its lower end as an integral part thereof a friction-wheel 11, formed by bending' the edge of the socket outwardly and then upwardly to form a flange. The extension 3 is provided with apertures 12 on its longitudinal center, which fall in vertical alinement when the end of the stem is curled over, as represented in Fig. 2. Between these apertures a pin 13 is fixed, as by riveting, as shown, on which a friction-wheel 14 is journaled and contacts with the outer periphery of the wheel 1 l.

The friction-wheel 14 is conical on its lower face to minimize the friction due to its contact with the extension 3 as far as possible. Above this wheel a spring-tongue 15 is cut from the extension, which when curled over to protrude beyond it and overhang the wheel 11, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, acts as a spring-stop for preventing the accidental displacement of the stem from the socket.

For assisting the friction-wheels in maintaining the socket in concentric relation to the stem at its lower end a lug 16 is formed at diametrical points on the stem, said diameter being at right angles to the common diameter of the friction-wheels.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified socket having an upper reduced end to snugly fit the stem, which makes the structure a bit more rigid, but slightly increases the friction. This form of socket will be found preferable on furniture that is heavy and cumbersome.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent -1. In a caster, a bracket, a stem extending perpendicular thereto, a socket loosely emracing the stem having a friction-wheel at its lower end, and a friction-Wheel journaled on the bracket and engaging said first-named friction-wheel at its outer periphery.

2. In a caster, a bracket comprisin downwardly-bent wings, a roller journa ed between the wings on the bracket, an extension directed rearwardly of the bracket and curled over to form means between which a friction-wheel is journaled, a spring-tongue cut from the extension and curled over the endof the extension as described, a vertical stem fixed to the bracket, a socket loosely passed over the stern having a friction-wheel at the end of the socket contacting with said first-named friction-wheel, and lugs on the stem at right angles to the common diameter of the friction-Wheels, for the purpose described.

3. In acaster, a bracket made from a blank comprising extending wings forming a fork, an extension projecting rearwardly of the wings, and a spring-tongue out from said extension.

4. In a caster, a bracket, a stem extending upwardly from the bracket and fixed thereto, said stem being of conical formation at its upper end, a socket having a friction-wheel at its lower end passed over said stem and having a conical end to fit the conical end of the stern, and a second friction-wheel journaled on the bracket and contacting with the outside of the friction-wheel on the socket, for

the purpose described.

5. In a caster, a bracket, a stem fixed to the bracket and extending therefrom, a socket passed over the stem and loosely surrounding it having a friction-wheel at the lower end of said socket, a second frictionwheel journaled on the bracket and in engagement with the first-named friction-wheel, and a spring carried by the bracket to prevent the accidental disengagement of the stem and socket.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- IVILLIAM IMBT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. SHAFER, HENRY J. Korz. 

